Tower Trips Trivia Quiz

Answer: Palace of Westminster Clock Tower

"Just a few notes on my beloved friend, the Clock Tower belonging to the Palace of Westminster. He is very well known for the hour bell "Big Ben", a name which is sometimes wrongly given to my good chum the clock tower as well. He has been around since 1858, so he is certainly one from the older generation. The architect Auguste Pugin is responsible for the design. He is about 316 feet or 96.3 metres high, so I am much bigger than him anyway.

Since I do not want to leave my many fans in Paris too long on this trip, I must remember to visit some of my other clock tower friends sometime. There is naturally my good friend at Arley Hall, a 19th-century guy like me, standing so pround at the entrance. There is my 17th-century friend from Morpeth, placed on the corner of the Market Place there. And then there is my good friend the Lichfield Clock Tower, out there in the city of Lichfield in the county of Staffordshire. He is one of my generation, being 19th century. I could travel all around obviously."

Answer: Belem Tower

"Some quick notes again before I forget. My good friend the Belem Tower is a fortified tower in the municipality of Lisbon, officially located near the parish of Santa Maria de Belem. He is from the 16th century, making him one of the good old ones, as designed by architect Francesco de Arruda. UNESCO has listed him as a World Heritage site, since he was so important in the Portuguese naval history. He can't stop boasting about it, but admittedly he is a sight to see.

I have so little time to visit my other friends in Portugal. How I long to meet the Penegate Tower again, my 14th-century granite friend from Villa Verde. I so would like to touch base again with the Vasco da Gama Tower, my so young and modern lattice tower friend in Lisbon. And I must not forget Torre dos Clerigos, my bell tower buddy forming part of the Clerigos Church in Porto. But I must make it back to Paris in time".

Answer: The Leaning Tower

"I still wonder how my dear friend keeps holding up. The first stage of him was completed in 1173, but it took an amazing 177 years to finally get the final part done. He is a campanile, a bell tower that stands free from the building it belongs to, in this case the cathedral of Pisa. He is one of the oldest buildings in his city. I see all the tourists flocking to him, trying to make one of those famous pictures, where they appear to hold up the tower, so it won't fall. In 1990 the process was started to straighten my friend out, so he wouldn't actually topple.

And seeing the wonderful Italian city, makes me long for some of my other Italian chums. There is the Torre del Mangia (or Tower of the Eater) in Siena, standing tall near Town Hall since the 14th century, once under the protection of Giovanni di Balduccio. If I had time I could also visit the Tower della Ghirlandina, my sweet bell tower friend near the Cathedral of Modena. And there is the Tower of Mannelli, my small tower friend, found near the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence. But alas, I must travel on".

Answer: Galata Tower

"I am so happy to be travelling. Standing put all these years has made me a bit rusty, but being out and about has really made me happy. My friend the Galata Tower is such a wonderful sight to see and has been since the 14th century. He is a stone tower, so it would be hard to tip him over. So many people climb to the top to get a breathtaking view over the city of Istanbul and the Bosphorus, the strait that forms the boundary between the continents of Europe and Asia. There is even a nightclub on its upper floors, so I will be sure to party a little while I am here, although I fear I may tower over everyone on the dancefloor.

I do wish I had more time to visit some of my Turkish friends. I would stop by my ancient friend Kiz Kulesi, or Maiden's Tower, in Istanbul. I would also visit Kizil Kule, or Red Tower, in the coastal city of Alanya, proudly depicted on the city's flag and housing the Ethnographic Museum. And there is my very observant friend the Atakule Tower out in Ankara. But let's not waste time and carry one with my journey. I will be back in a few centuries surely".

Answer: Burj Khalifa

"It is surprising to see to what heights some of my tower friends have risen. My friend Burj Khalifa is a very large skyscraper in the modern town of Dubai, located in the United Arab Emirates. He forms part of the Downtown Dubai project, a very large complex housing some of the famous landmarks of the city and used for many purposes. He is really a magnificent sight to see and houses everything from apartments to hotels and nightclubs. He sure could be considered the talk of the town.

There are so many spectacular things to see here in the Middle East region. I would really love to visit the Aspire Tower, another young one rising so high out in Doha, Qatar. There is the Kirya Tower, my tall friend from Tel Aviv in Israel, housing so many government officials. I could also meet up with my good buddy the Jeddah Tower, the TV tower in the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. But oh la la, so much to do still on this trip. My next flight awaits."

Answer: Spiral Minaret

"Since I have started my trip, I have seen such beautiful things. The Spiral Minaret in Samarra is one of my dear friends and a wonderful sight to see, constructed in the 9th century. He is made of sandstone and has a spiral design. At the top you can find a small cylindrical room, decorated by eight arcs on the outside. You can see my friend standing from afar. He is considered a true image for the presence of Islam in the region around him.

My visit to the Spiral Minaret, makes me long for some of the other beautiful minaret friends that I would like to visit. There are so many types to see. There are octagonal ones like the ones in Egyptian style in the 15th century. You can find quadrangular types like the ones that originated in Tunisia, for instance the Mosque of Uqba or simple square ones. There are many famous mosques to visit, like the Blue Mosque in Istanbul or the Grand Mosque in Kuwait City.

Answer: Canton Tower

"It fills my weary old heart with pleasure to see my friend the Canton Tower again. He was designed by Dutch architects Mark Hemel and Barbara Kuit. Construction started in 2005 and was finally completed in 2010. He is one of my futuristic friends, consisting of a design featuring two ellipses. There are many functions housed in the tower, ranging from TV and radio transmission facilities to nightclubs and restaurants. It is quite a beautiful sight to behold for the citizens of Guangzhou.

And as so often on my trip, my mind wanders towards some of my other friends coming from China. There is the Yueyang Tower, one of the Three Great Towers in the region of Jiangnan. I also am reminded of my dear friend the Oriental Pearl Tower, my TV tower friend in Shanghai. And how could I forget the Erqi Memorial Tower in Zhengzhou, a memory to the strike in the Erqi district in 1923. So many friends and so little time.... sigh."

Answer: Petronas Towers

"It's great fun to find both my friends looking well, being so close together constantly. They are connected by a two-story bridge. They have been around since 1998 and form an important landmark in the city of Kuala Lumpur. They have been the highest building in the world for some years after their completion, before being surpassed by another good tower friend of mine in Taipei. The towers provide office space for a large number of companies, a lot of them associated with Petronas, an oil and gas company.

This visit brings back memories of other twin tower friends that I have. My good friends the El Faro Towers in Buenos Aires come to mind, connected by a series of aerial bridges. I also remember the Shaiba Towers, my faithful friends from Dubai, one being taller than the other though. And naturally I can't forget the Panorama Towers, my dear friends in Las Vegas, containing luxury condominiums. If only my time was not so limited."

Answer: Willis Tower

"My dear friend the Willis Tower has been around since 1973. The building was orginally created to provide office space for the company of Sears, Roebuck & Co, a very large retailer. The building eventually did not meet the expectations of Sears and gradually they moved out of it. In 2009 London insurance brokers Willis bought the name rights to the tower. Although the tower to many still remains the Sears Tower.

There are so many towers in the United States I will lose count if I try to memorize them all. I will confine my thoughts for now to some of the other towers in the state of Illinois. I fondly remember the Confluence Tower, at the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site. I also recall my friend the Watterson Towers, a very large student hall. And there is the good friend I have found in the Leaning Tower in the city of Niles. So many towers to visit, I could spend my entire lifetime meeting new friends."

Answer: CN Tower

"The last part of my journey takes me to Toronto, meeting my friend the CN Tower, an observation tower found in the downtown area. He has been completed in 1976 and has become a bit of an icon for Canada. At the time he was the tallest building, but he was later surpassed by the Canton Tower and Burj Khalifa. The CN in the name refers to the company that built the tower, the Canadian National, a railway company. It is a very tall observation and communications tower. Even though Canadian National later sold my friend, the company name still remains in the name of the tower.

And so my trip has come to an end. Waiting for my flight to Paris again, I think a little about other Canadian friends that I could have visited. There is the Skylon Tower, having such a magnificent view over the American and the Horseshoe Falls. There is the Ryan Tower, created in 1968 in Chelsea, Quebec. And my thought also go to the Murney Tower, proudly standing around from 1846 in Kingston, Ontario."